


Day 20: Mutiny!

by GemmaRose



Series: Lost Light Fest 2018 [20]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Brothers, Cassetticon Hot Rod, Fear of Death, Gen, The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Issue 50 (IDW), The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Issue 51 (IDW), Transformers Spark Bonds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-14 07:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16487918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: Even without Megatron as a captain, Getaway wants Rodimus gone.





	Day 20: Mutiny!

“Rod.”

Rodimus looked down, and managed a smile at the sight of Ravage padding over to stand next to him. “What’s up? I’ve got Rewind calling back to the Lost Light to tell them what we’ve found.”

“Megatron recognised the ships that shot us down.”

“Decepticons, I know.” Rodimus nodded. Even with the war more than a meta-cycle over, some people just hadn’t gotten the message. Or maybe they didn’t care.

“I’m going to go see who we’re dealing with, use the sparkflowers as cover.”

Rodimus pursed his lips. He could easily order his brother to stay, but a nudge of confidence from their newly reopened bond was enough to convince him not to. “Alright.” he nodded his helm once. “But be careful.” he touched his chestplate over his spark, and Ravage nodded before turning and vanishing off to do what he’d always done best. Rodimus squared his shoulders, and headed to the room where Rewind had gone to make the call.

“We’ve got contact!” Rewind informed him as he walked in, the biggest of the screens coming to life with a vaguely mechanoid silhouette.

“Blaster?” Rodimus asked, trying to make out any distinguishing bits of kibble. The speakers returned static, and Rewind tapped a few keys with a displeased mutter. “Blaster, is that you? Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Rodimus.” a voice came back, distorted and Wrong in a way that made his plating crawl. When was the last time Blaster had called him by his actual name?

“Is that you?” he asked, trying not to sound suspicious. “You sound different. Can you see us?”

“Give me a moment to filter the signal and...” the picture finally resolved, and the mech on the other end of the line was definitely _not_ his old boss. “There we go!”

“Getaway!?”

“You’ve not forgotten about me, then.” Getaway sounded like he was smirking under his mask, and the layers of smug sub-glyphs made his satisfaction perfectly clear. “Hey, how's the Journey Into Mystery? Say hello to the Necrobot for me!”

“Look, I don't know how you got out of your _cell_ , or how you know we're here, but we need a _pickup_. Now.” Rodimus snarled, stalking towards the screen.

“Hmm.”

“Look, if you're worried about us locking you up again, fine, we can discuss it.” Rodimus conceded. “ _After_ we get back.”

“You think I'm worried about being locked up?” one of Getaway’s optics widened slightly, the closest he could get to a raised optic ridge with the shape of his helm.

“Of _course_ not!” Rodimus threw his hands up. “You're _unimprisonable!_ No cell can contain you! We lock you up, you escape! _We get it_.”

“Do you? Do you _really?_ ” Getaway’s optics narrowed, sub-glyphs drenching his words in disdain. “You removed my _hands_ , Rodimus. _And_ my feet. You took away my _T-cog_. You sawed off my _mouth_. You put my spark in a _trembler cage_ so sensitive I couldn't _shift my weight_ without risking _electrocution_.”

Rodimus barely kept himself from grimacing at that. The first two had been suggested by Skids, who knew just how good Getaway was at, well, living up to his designation. The T-cog removal had been Magnus’s suggestion, but the last two... He’d not come up with them himself but he’d approved them. Being upset with Getaway for using one of his best friends on the ship as a pawn and nearly getting said friend’s crush murdered, traumatising him in the process? Still not a good enough reason to allow something like that to be done to a prisoner. The mouth thing was humiliating, and the trembler cage was just plain cruel.

“'Escape'? I didn't 'escape'.” Getaway continued, not even pausing. “There's no _way_ I could've 'escaped'. _No one_ could've 'escaped'. I was _released_. And do you know who let me out?” his sub-glyphs went smug and self-satisfied again, and Rodimus’s spark dropped into his tanks as the camera zoomed out to show the whole bridge.

“Everyone.” Getaway was _definitely_ smiling behind his mask, arms spread wide to indicate the dozen or so crew members arrayed behind him. There was Riptide, head and shoulders above the rest. There was Atomizer, _waving_ , and Rodimus hated that he wasn’t even surprised by his presence. At the other end of the front row was Bluestreak, Mainframe next to him, but neither of them hurt half as much as the mech stood between Mainframe and Atomizer, visible just over Getaway’s shoulder.

For all that he’d disliked Blaster’s habit of trying to recruit him as a recordobot, and rankled at the carrier’s seemingly reflexive patronising attitude towards him, he’d thought that there was something like trust between them. Blaster had been getting better about calling him Captain, had stopped trying to recruit him when Rodimus finally took Rewind’s advice and told him to knock it off, but there he was, standing in support of a mutineer who’d stolen Rodimus’s ship and his captaincy and apparently most of his crew.

“What’s going on?” Megatron asked, walking up behind him, and Rodimus readied his fire to flare out if the ex-warlord got too close.

“ _Mutiny_ , that’s what.” he hissed, glaring at the screen as Getaway brought the camera back in to focus on himself.

“Welcome to the New War, Captain.” he sneered, tacking on a derisive sub-glyph at the end that made Rodimus’s plating flare out. “All of _you_ , versus all of _us_. And I hearby declare _us_ the winners.”

“Mainframe _knew_ where the signal was coming from, didn't he?” Rodimus asked rhetorically, processor working through the information Getaway had just dumped on him. “He _lied_ to get us off the ship, and sabotaged the teleport drive so we couldn't get back...”

“It wasn't just Mainframe.” Getaway gloated, far too pleased with himself. Rodimus made a mental note to punch him in his stupid smug face once he’d gotten his ship back. “Let's just say that the rest of the crew recognized an opportunity, finally, to get Megatron's Fan Club off the ship once and for all.”

“Did you arrange for us to be _attacked_ , too?” he asked sharply, and the flames under his armour wanted to leak out, wanted to crawl over his plating the way his field was doing as it saturated with anger. “Were you that worried about us coming back?

“Let me answer your questions with one of my own:” Getaway’s optic narrowed, and Rodimus had to consciously rein in his flames. “By what _tortured logic_ did High Comamnd conclude that letting an _unrepentant mass murderer_ off the hook represent anything _other_ than an _insult_ to the memory of the _billions_ he killed? Seriously, can someone explain to me how the war ended with the _instigator_ being allowed to go about his business _as if nothing happened?_ The death camps! The massacres! The cities razed to the ground! Apparently all of them were just _missteps_ , painful but necessary, on Megatron's _path to self-discovery!_ ” Getaway’s voice rose steadily as he ranted, and he threw his arms out at the end as if inviting argument.

“Look, _I get it_.” he gritted out, denta clenched tight around a volley of curses that would’ve made his brothers proud once upon a time. “When I heard Optimus was putting Megatron on board, I was _fuming_.”

“Yes, because you were afraid he'd _show you up!_ ”

“Because Optimus wanted to make him _Captain_.” Rodimus spat. “He wanted to take my ship, _mine_ , gifted to me by my _best friend_ , and _give it_ to Megatron.”

Getaway’s optics widened, but the shock only lasted a nano-klik. “Well, that didn’t stop you from cozying up to your old boss once he came aboard, now did it?” Getaway asked snidely, and Rodimus bared his denta at the jab. “Look at you now! Best friends!” Getaway continued on, unbothered by Rodimus’s rage. “ _All_ of you, not just Rodimus! What are you, his _entourage?_ By helping that _maniac_ find peace you're excusing his past behaviour. And so it falls to us, the 99%, to remind you how _wrong_ this is.” Getaway straightened up, lifting his chin and narrowing his optics as he assumed a deeper voice, more commanding than his usual tone. “Forgiveness? Rehabilitation? Reintegration?” he shook his helm solemnly. “No. Not him. Not now. Not ever.”

Rodimus nearly opened his mouth to respond to that, in agreement or in Megatron’s defense he wasn’t entirely sure, but Swerve beat him to the punch. “Oi! What is this, _guilt by association?_ ” he glowered up at the screen, arms firmly crossed. “I've _never_ taken Megatron's side! I've never even _talked_ to you about Megatron!”

“Yeah, you have.” Getaway rebutted easily. “You _all_ have, at one time or another. You just don't remember it.” One of Getaway’s hands moved out of view of the camera, and Rodimus caught the faint sound of something being pulled from subspace. “After Megatron's trial, Atomizer and I spoke to _everyone_ onboard.” Getaway’s hand game back up, a gun held loosely between his fingers, and his optics fixed on it as he spun the weapon with the ease of long practice. “Two questions: 'do you think he deserves a second chance?' and 'what would you do if someone staged a coup?' If you weren't prepared to stand with us when the time came, then **Bang**.” Getaway caught the gun firmly in his hand and lifted the barrel to his own helm, miming a shot being fired. “A quick blast from the Nudge Gun and your memory of our conversation was quietly removed. No harm done, no side effects, just a headache.”

“You _bastard_.” Skids growled, leaning over Rodimus to slam a hand down on the counter.

“Couldn't have put it better myself.” Rodimus snarled in agreement, underlining his words with a low rumble from his engine and hard, angry sub-glyphs.

“Ah, but, y'see, my problem's not just with Megatron. It's with _you_.” Getaway returned the nudge gun to his subspace and lifted a hand to point a finger at the camera on his end.

“Me?” Rodimus frowned, trying to recall what he’d done that could’ve made Getaway hate him so much.

“You're a _bad captain_.” Getaway said, snide as anything, and Rodimus nearly ignited on the spot. “I realized that the moment I saw your ridiculous 'Rodpod'.”

Rodimus took a step forward, and only the fact that he was in arm’s reach of Skids kept him from letting the building flames in his chassis loose. Who the frag was Getaway to judge the gifts his crew gave him? Sure most mechs thought the Rodpod was kinda tacky, but it was fun too!

“The thing is... if our race is to rebuild itself, we _need_ to find the Knights. We _need_ to find Cyberutopia.” Getaway continued, yet again unphased by Rodimus’s restrained anger. He mentally upgraded Getaway from a punch in the face to a solid kick in the array after getting his ship back. “But you're in this for _you_ , not for anyone else, and _that's_ why we never _get_ anywhere. Even before Optimus dumped Megatron on us, Atomizer and I were looking for a way to... move you aside.”

“The list...” Rodimus realised, anger draining away to cold realisation.

“List?” Ultra Magnus asked, and Rodimus felt his flames building back up as he realized the full implications of the bullet he’d dodged.

“Atomizer offered me a list of people he said were against me. He said I could weed out the trouble-makers...”

“And had you done so, I'd have had something to bargain with.” Getaway cheerfully interrupted. “Bit of friendly blackmail and I could've... _persuaded_ you to let someone else take over.” he said blithely, and Rodimus sincerely hoped Rewind was recording this because this was a confession and a half and Magnus would love to have it on file as a reason why they were going to lock Getaway right the pit back up when they put an end to this mutiny. “But we don't actually _need_ you at all! We've even got our own map, the one you drew on your desk.”

“Look here, Getaway.” Magnus said, his voice low and dangerous. “I don't know what in the blue blazes you think you're playing at, but this is getting ridiculous.”

“What can I say?” Getaway shrugged, as if the anger and disappointment of the previous Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord held no more weight than a praxian piccolo lilleth, “I'm not a bad person, I just have strong beliefs. I believe in finding the Knights, and I believe in justice. And Rodimus, and the rest of you, are an obstacle to _both_.”

Behind him, Rodimus felt Magnus tense. Maybe he’d suggest letting his SIC strap Getaway into his cell personally this time. Really, what sort of idiot called _Ultra Magnus_ an obstacle to justice?

“And that's really all I wanted to say. So thanks for calling, but this is where we must part company.”

“We're coming after you.” Rodimus said, using the most threatening sub-glyphs he could muster. “Count on it.”

“Without your precious 'Rodpod'?” Getaway smirked, the smug curve of his lips audible even past his self-satisfied sub-glyphs.

“We'll find a way. Trust me.”

“Well, you'd better hurry...” Getaway tilted his helm slightly to the side, as if checking his internal chronometer, and Rodimus felt a bolt of pure _terror_ streak through him, fear and pain so strong it nearly knocked his legs out from under him. “You're about to have visitors.”

“Wha-” his vocaliser skipped, and he reset it quickly. “What do you mean?” he asked, plating all clamping down tight.

“I don’t want to spoil the surprise!” Getaway nearly laughed. “Just do what they say and no one will get hurt.” he tilted his helm slightly optics squinting in a smile that couldn’t be anything but cruel. “That’s a lie. One of you probably will get hurt.”

A fresh wave of emotion flared out from his spark, and Rodimus pressed a hand to his chest as he staggered back, white noise in his ears drowning out Megatron and Getaway’s last exchange but not their tones, Megatron pleading and Getaway mocking.

“Rod.” Ravage’s voice cut through the noise in his helm, and the fear coming through his bond to his brother faded as Rodimus turned to see the older cassette limping in.

“Ravage!” he cried, and hurried over to drop to his knees next to where Ravage chose to lay down. It was hard to tell on his black plating but there were scorch marks down the middle of his back from a close call with something incredibly high-powered, and his left front leg had taken a direct hit in the shoulder, hence his limp.

“They’re here, aren’t they?” Megatron asked as he came over, and Rodimus rested an arm protectively over Ravage, plating flaring out in warning.

“Not just them... hundreds...” Ravage’s voice shook as he leaned against Rodimus, plating trembling slightly against his frame.

“Who?” Ultra Magnus asked, but Rodimus had a sinking feeling he already knew the answer. The list of mechs who could make Ravage _scared_ was next to non-existant, and he was pretty sure most of them were dead now. “Who’s here?”

“The Decepticon Justice Division.” Megatron answered, his voice low and even, and Rodimus curled a hand tight around the edge of some of Ravage’s plating. “My executioners.”

“Ha!” the laugh tore itself from his vocaliser, and when every optic turned to him he couldn’t stop a mirthless grin from spreading across his face. “Bit of an understatement there, Megatron.” his plating shifted, trying to flare out in a protective threat display and clamp down in mortal peril at the same time. “The DJD are your personal _torture squad_.”

“I think this is it...” Megatron said softly as Rodimus wrapped his other arm around Ravage in a tight, desperate hug. “I think this is how it ends.”

The walls of the fortress began to shake, and Rodimus bent his helm over Ravage, clutching his brother tight as his crew panicked. They would die here, that much was inevitable, but not just yet. Tarn was a stickler for rules, and he had been Megatron’s biggest fan to boot. He would let them steep in their own fear before coming in for the kill.

The shaking stopped abruptly, and Rodimus took a deep in-vent. He was the captain, he had to reassure his crew as much as he could. They were going to die, but that didn’t mean they had to do it without any dignity. 

“I’m serious, maybe this fortress was too much for them!” Tailgate said as Rodimus got to his feet. The older mini looked over at him hopefully, and Rodimus shook his helm.

“There’s a script.” he said as Megatron sat down heavily on a box, dredging up old, half faded memories of Soundwave’s lessons in the early days of the war to get the explanation right. “Show your enemy you’re in control, that you can destroy them whenever you feel like it.”

“Oh.” Tailgate seemed to deflate, his hands coming together worriedly. “And then, leave?” he asked, hopeful even in the face of the slagging DJD. It was comforting, somehow.

“No.” Megatron spoke before Rodimus could, the ex-warlord turning to look at what Rewind had pulled up on the exterior vidcams, where a single word had been blasted into the ground. “Then he promises to come back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fucking _hell_ JRo uses a lot of emphasis! All that italics in the transcribed dialogue? That was bold in the comics. I didn’t even do all of it.


End file.
